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BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU Brooklyn women's basketball team opened the 2013-14 season with a tough loss in the Steinberg Center Friday night, as the Blackbirds dropped a last-second heartbreaker to city rival Columbia, 62-59. Senior Cleandra Roberts had a career-high 23 points, and junior Letava Whippy added a personal-best 16 points and 10 rebounds for the double double in the loss, but it was not enough to hold off a late surge by the Lions.
 
Roberts had 13 points in the second half for LIU, and the Blackbird defense held the Lions to a 26.7 field goal percentage but in the end, it wasn't enough, and LIU's turnovers proved too costly.
 
With a huge home crowd supporting them, the Blackbirds opened the game on a tear. A layup by junior Letava Whippy put LIU on the board first, 2-0 at the 18-minute mark, and 30 seconds later, she made another, for a 4-0 LIU lead. Roberts added a jumper and at the 16-minute mark, she had a steal and a jumper to make it 8-2 in LIU's favor. Columbia began to make its shots, however, and two free throws by Lion freshman Carolyn Binder tied the game at 14-14 with 12:23 left in the half. Binder, who finished the day with 28 points, had a three pointer at 11:21 to give Columbia its first lead of the day.
 
LIU stayed close, however, and a fast-break layup by freshman Aleisha Myers made it 30-28 Columbia with just over five minutes to play. Roberts would drain two free throws at the 3:25 mark to tie it up and give LIU a one-point lead, 33-32, but Columbia hit its stride in the final two minutes of the half. The Lions scored eight unanswered points to close the first half with a 40-33 lead heading into the break.
 
Coming into the second half, Roberts took the Blackbirds on her back, scoring six unanswered points in the first three minutes of the half, to close the lead to 42-40. A layup by senior Fanny Cavallo at 16:32 tied it at 42, and the Blackbirds were back in the game. For the next nine minutes, the two teams stayed locked together, with neither leading by more than a point. It wasn't until 7:57, when Binder hit one of her four three-pointers, that Columbia would widen the lead, 53-51. The Lions led by as many as six points towards the end of the game, but the Blackbirds were never out of contention. Two free throws by Myers closed the lead to two points, 57-55 with 2:35 to play, and 30 seconds after that, Whippy hit a layup to tie the game at 57.
 
Twenty seconds later, Columbia had the ball. Strong LIU defense had wound the shot clock down to 1, and the Blackbirds thought they'd forced a turnover. But Columbia senior Taylor Ward hit a dagger of a shot from the free throw line right as the buzzer went off. The shot was good, and Columbia led, 59-57 with 1:27 to play. LIU missed four free throws in the final minute of the game, while Columbia made three of theirs, which proved to be the difference in the end. Columbia took the win in the end, 62-59.
 
Roberts led the Blackbirds with a career-high 23 points and nine rebounds.  Junior Letava Whippy also had a career night, with a personal best 16 points, along with 10 boards for her first double-double of the season. Freshman Aleisha Myers added 10 points in her first collegiate start.
 
Up next for the Blackbirds is the first road game of the season, as LIU will travel to Lawrenceville, N.J., to face off with Rider, Thursday, November 14 at 7 p.m.